


Wrong Turns and Bad Endings

by ManOfChocolate



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: All aboard the Dark Train, Angst, Bad Ending, Being Lost, Beware the CORE, Body Horror, Child Abuse, Frisk Needs A Hug, Frisk is unprepared, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Next Stop: Awful Town, Nothing but Bad Endings, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Torture, Reader participation encouraged, Sad Frisk, Selectively Mute Frisk, The Underground is dangerous, Torture, Vignettes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:30:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6907315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManOfChocolate/pseuds/ManOfChocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even with all of its wonders and sights, the Underground is a dark and dangerous place for a lone human child. Frisk is about to find out that every misstep, every wrong turn and every bad decision has a consequence.</p><p>The price is often higher than they could ever hope to afford.</p><p>Treasure those happy endings, as the path out of Mt. Ebott holds peril and treachery at every turn.</p><p>
  <b>[Ending 2: Lost in the CORE]</b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Delicacy [Beware the Nice Cream Guy]

"L-love yourself! I love you!"

Monster Kid giggled and jumped around the mouse monster clad in an almost comically oversized scarf. The cheerful and kind messages printed on the wrappers never ceased to bring a smile to faces far and wide, especially children such as these two. While Snowdin had absolutely no shortage of ice, the cold treats carried unique flavors not even fresh snowflakes could ever hope to rival. The wandering shopkeeper allowed himself a chuckle, while adjusting the umbrella standing upright on his cart.

"Don't forget, that's not just a suggestion." he said, easing up on his posture just enough to rest his elbows on the cart.

The two monsters picked their head up again, wondering what he meant. Monster Kid by now had their mouth full of Nice Cream, with only the wood sticking out. Mouse was just about to bite the tip, but paused briefly with a soft squeak.

"It's an order!" Nice Cream Guy chuckled at their confused faces. "Whenever you feel down, you must look at it and feel better about yourself. You're both very good kids."

Almost on cue, both little ones started blushing from the compliment. The rising heat in their cheeks actually helped melt the Nice Cream faster, and a less-kind soul would have suggested that's how the rabbit monster made bank on his ware, but it had nothing to do with it. He really was just looking out for the children.

It helped that the plan did work though. It hardly took them a minute or two and both Nice Creams were a thing of the past, melted into colorful, tasty flavors. The flavor variations of the Nice Creams were just about legendary, and every time someone tried one, they couldn't help but appreciate how true those fables were.

"Did you get a new flavor? These are even better than the usual!" Monster Kid hopped in place with pure glee, the sugary treat making them even more jittery and excitable than normally. "Can we have another one?"

"Pretty please?" their mouse monster friend asked, their voice much more reserved, but laden with just as much anticipation.

"I'm not so sure, you kids shouldn't be spoiling your lunch." the Nice Cream Guy mused, rubbing his cheek as if he needed to think about it. "Well, I guess if you don't tell-"

His answer was rudely interrupted by a loud bang coming from inside the cart. All three monsters froze up, Nice Cream Guy slowly standing up right again. There didn't seem to be anything profoundly wrong with the cart and yet another bang quickly followed the first, just as loudly as before.

"Yo... is this okay?" Monster Kid asked, shifting from one foot to another. It wasn't just gluttony speaking; they genuinely hoped there wasn't anything wrong. The rabbit monster was always so kind to all of the kids in Snowdin, so they didn't even want to imagine anything bad happening to him.

For a brief moment, Mouse thought the Nice Cream Guy scowled at the noise, but by the time they blinked, the familiar warm smile was back in place. Their best bet was that they had just imagined the frowning face. After all, it was hard to find a more cheerful fellow in the entire Underground, than the beloved salesman.

"Relax, everything's alright." he chuckled, brushing their worry aside like a weightless cloud. "I guess the motor's just having some trouble with all the cold around us. She's a cranky old lady sometimes."

He gave the cart a light kick for good measure and while the refrigeration inside did give a noticeable hiccup-like sound, it continued to buzz with energy as intended.

"I might need to roll over to Waterfall a bit though, just to make sure everything's alright." he added, earning a pair of sad 'aww' whines from the children. He started rubbing his cheek again in thought, only for the smile to return twice as strong. "Tell you what."

He leaned down, as if he was about to pass on a secret to them.

"Let's make a deal. Both of you go home and eat lunch like good little children." he proposed. "And if you promise to do that and come back in the afternoon, the first Nice Cream will be on the house. Or should I say, on the cart?"

The monster children cheered at the idea, eagerly accepting the terms and conditions without a second thought. They quickly said their goodbyes and ran off back to the town, eager to be prim, proper and eat their food as promised. Cheating was off the table, as they both knew adult monsters had this weird ability to always tell if children were lying.

The rabbit monster waved after them with a wide grin, which never faded even as the loud banging started up once again. Instead, he patiently exhaled, steadying his unexpectedly shaky hands. Once he shuffled around a couple lungfuls of air, he opened up the cart refrigeration unit, shielding his eyes from the flash of red coming from inside.

"Now, now... you're being a very naughty child today." he said, the earlier kindness in his voice mixing with a surprising shade of malice.

The glowing continued to pulse from inside the cart, quickly followed by a string of incoherent whimpers. The monster tilted his head and chuckled, fingers combing through his lone tuft of light-blue hair.

"I swear, I honestly thought you couldn't even speak. What a pleasant surprise!"

Frisk's teeth were chattering loudly from the cold, their torn-up sweater creaking with even the slightest movement from how frozen it was. Their skin seemed like it had entered a rivalry with the Nice Cream Guy, over which could be more blue. Even with his natural advantage, Frisk was quickly gaining on him. Their hands were frozen near-stiff and even their beautiful SOUL seemed like a thick layer of frost have grown over it.

The human whimpered something again, audible to no one, but the Nice Cream Guy.

"Food?" he asked back, only to break into a laughter far more prolonged and hysterical, than a normal person would have allowed themselves. "You really think I'll give you any decent food, after your little stunt just now? Do you?!"

He gave the cart a nasty rattle, letting the child slam into both sides of the already small refrigeration unit. Their soul remained bright nonetheless, taking minimal amounts of additional damage, besides everything it has suffered until now. The child quickly wiped the fresh tears off their face, for letting them freeze would have been even worse.

"If you promise to behave, maybe I'll let you have something for dinner." he stated, a strange flame glinting in his eyes. "But only if you don't cause another scene and cultivate my Nice Creams a little more. That SOUL-glow does wonders for the flavor!" he chuckled.

The wind brought the faint sounds of a conversation, getting closer with every second. Nice Cream Guy straightened his posture again, only to notice a couple residents from Snowdin Town heading towards his cart. Frisk whimpered again, fresh frost forming on their faded hair once again, after the painful shake. The monster merely put a finger before his mouth, loudly shushing the human.

He took a Nice Cream of out the unit, and pulled on the lid to close it up again. For a moment, his features softened just a little as the human's stuck their barely-functioning hand out ever-so-slightly, begging him for mercy. He offered shelter when Undyne was chasing them through Waterfall and although his kindness turned out to be a facade, there was no one else to turn to; no one else they could appeal to.

"Aww, poor thing." he sighed. The apologetic smile quickly twisted into nightmarish smirk though, reaching almost from one floppy ear to the other. "But don't you worry, feel free to have a sample. Who knows, you might learn what your SOUL tastes like." he chuckled, pulling the lid shut. Frisk barely had time to pull their hand back and the metal still nicked it, making them cry out in pain as they were once again locked in the tiny, frozen abyss.

The salesman pulled the wrapper off the Nice Cream, intent on having a treat while waiting for his incoming customers. He unfolded the paper, smiling at the lovely message he knew by heart:

'Have a wonderful day!'

The Nice Cream Guy nodded to himself with a smile, gleefully savoring the brand new 'SOUL-infused' flavor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how about something completely different? Introducing a new on-and-off little project, to try my hand at something else. As the summary shows, this will be significantly darker than most of my previous material. Every chapter will be a self-contained 'Bad Ending', in which a bad decision or circumstance leads Frisk to unsavory results. Due to the wide variety of possible scenarios, I will try my best to give appropriate warnings, where necessary.
> 
>   **Important! Reader participation is highly encouraged! I have some ideas of my own, but if there's a specific scenario you have in mind that could be adapted into a short story, I would be more than happy to devote a chapter to it!**
> 
>   **If you have an idea in mind, feel free to contact me in the comments or leave a message on my Tumblr, http://milkasingularity.tumblr.com/! Let's make something awful together!**


	2. Diagnostics [Lost in the CORE]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final showdown with Mettaton is at hand! Frisk bravely enters the CORE to find and confront the Underground's famous entertainer. Alphys guides their every move, until the strange interference cuts the two off. Startled, but determined, Frisk presses onward, not knowing what awaits them along those corridors...
> 
> _Warning, the following chapter contains traces of claustrophobia, paranoia and body horror. Reader be advised._

"I s-should have gone with you. A-are you sure you're going t-to be alright?"

Frisk broke into a smile, hearing Alphys' worried tone over the newly-upgraded phone. The monster was probably the most worrywart they have met until now, far surpassing even Toriel. Sure, things hadn't turned out exactly like she described them so far, up to and including basic directions, the presence of monsters and laser colors, but their advice and guidance were still almost indispensable. Crossing caverns and snowy landscapes was straightforward, but this place was far beyond that scope. 

The CORE was indeed imposing, a giant machine-complex unlike anything the human has ever seen before. The walls were adorned with metal panels, lights, displays and many bits of oddly exposed wiring. Frisk had no idea what purpose this peculiar construction style served, but the area did seem strangely old and new at the same time.

Beautifully shiny at first glance, yet at some points it almost seemed like it was bursting at the seams.

Alphys sighed on the other end, somewhat relieved by Frisk's reassuring hum. The child hardly spoke, which just fueled the aura of cuteness around them. While they haven’t seen Mettaton ever since their last encounter, the increasing number of unexpected elements were disconcerting, to say the least. Even on the other end, Frisk could clearly hear her voice quivering with a mix of worry, fear and something else they couldn't quite identify. 

"Alright." she said, followed by an audible swallow. "C-continue on this path and you'll soon r-reach the central hub."

"Mmhm." they nodded, making sure to remember every last detail.

"From there, you just have to take a... um... r-right? Right? Right!" Alphys stuttered, Frisk once again having to cover their mouth to stifle an improper giggle. The lizard monster's awkwardness was very endearing. "A-after that, just keep to---"

Frisk winced and pulled the phone from their ears immediately. Alphys' kind voice distorted into loud static, loud enough to resound from the walls. The result was a dreadful, echoing noise that involuntarily made them shiver a bit. With the press of a button, they disconnected the call and tried again, looking up Alphys' number from the Recent Calls list. 

Sure enough, the dial tone was working just as intended. It sounded like the monster had picked up the phone, too. Rather than the usual timid 'hello', however, Frisk could only hear a low buzz. The phenomenon was oddly curious, as even with Toriel, there was simply no answer. Instead of hanging up, they listened closer for a more familiar noise. The buzzing remained, slowly gaining in volume every few seconds. Frisk could almost make it some other noise beyond the buzzing itself, but it just sounded like a garbled static, like someone talking from behind a fan and a closed elevator.

The child sighed and hung up, assuming that the CORE just naturally had some funky effect on phone calls. After all, Alphys did say it powered the entire Underground and that it was a marvelous blend of technology and magic. Frisk had seen less weird places do odd things before, so they thought it best not to stress on it too much. Sooner or later, the reception would improve and they made a mental note to periodically try again.

For now, they still had a flamboyant Box-Bot to find.

* * *

The CORE really was as labyrinthine as both Alphys and monsters in the MTT-Emporium had described it. Frisk frowned, a little bit of frustration mixing into the determined button-presses. The phone reception was still dead and gone, meaning they were on their own. Wandering all on their lonesome turned out to be exactly as monotonous and unnerving as they expected it would be. Alphys' rapid calls were very much missed by now.

They have already passed the central hub a while ago, heading right as their monster guide last recommended. It sounded like the way should have been clear from there, but there was simply no sign of any other significant landmark they could relate to. Eventually they simple had to take more turns as they found the end of the corridor, resulting in this current predicament.

Frisk had to keep going, but with clear no idea in which direction, or where they were.

The human sighed and slumped down against a wall. Reaching for the phone again, they pressed a couple of buttons and were quickly rewarded by a Glamburger popping out of the dimensional space, finally making them smile a bit. While calling, texting and accessing the UnderNet remained impossible due to whatever interference the CORE emanated, at least the box still worked. All this walking around made Frisk rather famished.

They hungrily bit into the Glamburger, ignoring the weird, almost glittery aftertaste. Part of that taste they identified as a shred of wrapping paper, which they bit off in the enthusiasm. Monster food came in pretty much the strangest varieties the child has ever seen, but at least one thing was consistent: they filled their little bellies quite nicely. Frisk leaned against the wall as they munched on the overly colorful meal, closing their eyes and just letting the flavors melt on their tongue.

A faint noise from behind them quickly brought their senses back to reality. Frisk frowned, turning just a bit to the side to get a better listen. Behind the metal panels, somewhere close yet far away, a very familiar noise kept echoing. They leaned even closer, scrambling through their mind to find where they've heard this peculiar sound before. 

The burger bite suddenly turned very bitter in their mouth. 

Frisk swallowed, the previously delicious meal transforming into a block of ice as it slid down into their stomach. They wrapped the food up again, putting it aside for now. By the time they reached for the phone though, their hands were shaking and could barely find the right buttons. Without even really looking at the name, they just called the first number they had. The trembling increased exponentially as they raised it to their ear, while just about squeezing the other against the wall panel.

Dial tone, so far nothing out of the ordinary. Frisk swallowed again, counting down till someone picked it up.

There was the buzzing again, also as usual. It was slightly louder than before, but nowhere near as ear-piercing as the static had been, when their call with Alphys broke up. Frisk stifled their quickening breath, listening intently.

The garbled noise was there again.

In both ears.

The loud noise of the phone clacking repeatedly against the floor echoed across the empty CORE corridor. Frisk launched from the wall and crawled in the middle, breathing so quickly they almost lapsed into hyperventilation. 

None of this was funny now. None of this was even halfway amusing. 

Sheer terror gripped their frail heart, so much so that their SOUL answered the call and manifested. The bright red, determined glow always helped Frisk calm down before, during and after fights. This was different. There was no enemy to face here, no attacks to evade. It was just them and the CORE, and whatever was blocking their call. It was silly to assume such, but Frisk had no better way to explain it.

The phone continued buzzing, volume rising with every second.

Frisk curled up and sunk their head between their knees, trying to block out the noises just until they could get their breathing back to normal. This adventure had quickly twisted from a perilous chase to a nightmarish trek. If Mettaton suddenly burst out from behind one of the walls, they would have jumped to give him a Hug worth reporting to the entire Underground about.

The buzzing got louder and louder. Soon, even the noise became audible.

Their SOUL vibrated from the intense fear, flashing in bright red. Frisk raised their head again, only to wish they hadn't. The CORE was absolutely littered with all kinds of lights, unresponsive monitors and weird little flickering things Frisk couldn't even really identify. Normally, all of these appliances blinked in every color imaginable, responding to whatever function they served in the CORE.

They were all red now.

All of them blinking in unison with their pulsing SOUL.

The buzzing echoed across the corridor now. The noise sounded like someone whispering, groaning, moaning and shouting through a thick, static-y filter.

Louder.

Louder.

And yet louder.

Frisk whimpered and reached for the phone, pressing the button to disconnect the call with such force they thought the little appliance was going to break in half. Ignoring everything; the echoing buzz, the flashing lights and the sound of static, they ran in the direction they came from. The trip back would take at least another hour or two, but anything was better than having to spend another minute in this place.

The buzz was replaced by the loud clacking of shoes on metal as the human fled, leaving behind a faint red trail of light.

* * *

The way back should not have taken so long.

Frisk faintly realized this once they stopped to catch their breath again. They long abandoned running, but still tried to keep a reasonably fast pace, never staying in one spot for more than a minute or two. The walls were the same, the wires were the same and even the lights seemed to be the same. Or they could have been just patterns repeating. Frisk was certainly hoping for the latter.

They stopped, purposely staying in the middle of the corridor. A moment of realization came at least an hour ago, that ever since the phone started acting up, they have not come across a single monster. Knight Knight and Madjick, the two they remembered the most, had not made their presence known since their first encounter. They hadn't seen or talked to anybody, since the buzzing began.

Groaning, they reached down to rub their legs, every muscle turned to lead by now. The cost could be damned, the moment they got out of here, they would book a room in the MTT-Emporium, slip under those comfy blankets again and sleep for a week. The management could skimp on the mints again for all the human cared right now. Then, they would go back to Alphys, take her hand and let the monster guide them through instead. It would be safer, and they might even learn something from the scientist.

The thought brought a long-forgotten smile back to their faces.

Rather than wait, Frisk stepped forward once again. They pulled out the phone once again, though their hand trembled just a little from touching it. It was silly, since the phone itself definitely wasn't the cause of all this, but the noises were still most prominent from this device. Ignoring the call feature, they tried texting Alphys and logging into the UnderNet. Both attempts failed rather predictably, but not for the lack of trying.

Instead, Frisk examined their inventory. The Cowboy Hat and Empty Gun; their most recently acquired arsenal rested comfortably in the dimensional box, along with every other weaponry and armor they have collected so far. While they were somewhat weaker without them, the gun was surprisingly heavy and the hat over-sized for their little child head. Those armaments were better off in the box for now, allowing for minimal encumbrance.

The only types of items sorely missing were food, ironically enough.

Frisk sighed, shaking their head to how thoughtless they had been. Sure enough, after a nice meal in the Emporium, they embarked with just a single Glamburger, fully confident they would find Mettaton within the hour. Stomach grumbling confirmed that food items were indeed dearly missed. Their mental list was quickly amended with a full-course meal, though whether Burgerpants would be happy or annoyed by the large order, they couldn't really predict. The over-dramatic cat monster wasn't the easiest person to read.

A loud crumpling made them stop dead in their tracks.

Even without looking, Frisk felt a sense of dread crawling up their backs again. Perhaps it was just foresight from everything that happened until now, but they were sure they wouldn't like what happened next. A deep breath and a bit of leftover courage was all they could muster as they raised a foot to check.

It was a colorful, crumpled-up sheet of paper absolutely littered with the brand name, having once served as wrapping for a Glamburger.

The child took a step back, followed by another two. Every speck of fear they've managed to shake off returned hundredfold. The paper just lay on the floor, contents and a corner missing. There was no mistake, this was the wrapper they've left behind when the CORE went berserk. This was the corridor they had fled from.

They had not progressed an inch in several hours.

Frisk grabbed their head, thoughts racing back and forth at the speed of light. There was no conceivable way they could have been back here. Even since the incident, they took to a mostly straight line, with only one or two turns. But every time, they made extra sure it wouldn't just loop around; there was no way they could have circled all the way back here.

And then they remembered.

A brief little conversation they had with a kind mole monster, who claimed they worked here.

The CORE was like a maze. The CORE’s interior could be shifted at will.

This couldn't have been Mettaton's plan. There was no way the robot would have resisted hearing their voice in just about every dramatic scenario possible and they never would have skipped a chance to rush in on a moment of intense happiness or despair, just to steal the spotlight. If this were his doing, Frisk would have known all about it by now. However, the only possible other explanation, was much more alarming.

The CORE didn't want them to leave.

Suddenly, Frisk felt very small, like a speck of dust in a giant arena. All around him were nothing but clear walls, metal panels, wires and lights. They were all just part of a giant machine, a construct that was designed to supply power, not trap little children!

The lights were its eyes.

Frisk wasn't sure whether to scream or cry. The phone was a dead end, the way forward was apparently a dead end, but as the lights around them began to flash wildly, they realized that the luxury of choice has long eluded them.

Forward or backward, it mattered little.

They had to run.

* * *

Every now and again, they kept trying the phone. The garbled whispers were always there, sometimes overpowering the buzzing now.

Frisk pointed the Empty Gun at even the faintest shadow, ignoring the decreased sight from the Cowboy Hat. They had the means to protect themselves, but still no enemy to aim at.

The walls all looked the same now. The patterns repeated endlessly.

They ran.

* * *

Frisk panted, fingers occasionally touching the walls as they pressed on. There was still no sign of an exit and fatigue was rapidly taking over their senses.

All the lights kept blinking.

Inviting them closer.

Frisk sniffled, their sleeves alternating between dry and wet with fresh tears.

The wrapper was still there.

* * *

Colorful shreds of paper waited for them on the floor after every few minutes.

The air was heavy with the smell of burnt plastic.

Frisk shuffled by the wall, sweat dripping from their forehead. Eyes red and struggling to find focus; the whole corridor seemed to melt into a mishmash of vibrant shades.

The noise echoed even with the phone turned off.

* * *

Wires and circuits and sparks. 

Blinking indicators and flashing neon lights from above.

Buzzing; constant, loud, maddening buzzing.

Screens showed Alphys's lab, the house of the skeleton brothers, a fireplace and a chair with Toriel waiting to hug and tell more snail facts.

Butterscotch was better, but cinnamon was fine, too.

A kiss on the forehead to chase the nightmares away.

The whispers are now growls and hisses.

So tired.

* * *

Friction.

Friction was the first palpable feeling.

Frisk slowly opened their eyes, sight blurry and unfocused. Their mind more or less knew they were still in a forgotten corridor, still looking at the cold, metal interior of the CORE, but it took some time before they could actually see it. The child groaned, head pounding from either a heavy landing, or a lack of sleep. It was hard to tell, their sense of time had long evaporated.

The phone was lying on the floor before them, a faint buzzing echoing from it once again. They groaned louder, hoping some feeling would return to their body soon enough. However much they slept, it was nowhere near enough to replenish even a shred of their lost energy.

With the world halfway still spinning around, Frisk reached out for the phone to silence the static once again.

"Frisk? Frisk, is that you?!"

Alphys.

The human's eyes sprung wide open again, vision clearing in mere seconds this time around. They lost so much hope over the past hours, that even as Alphys started outright shouting into the phone for even a single-syllable response, they couldn't help, but grin as wide as their face allowed. If anyone could help them get out of this nightmarish maze, it would be Alphys. Close to tearing up once again, they reached out for the phone.

And were pulled several inches away from it.

Realization struck with the force of a boulder. Frisk pulled, only to find their ankles in the unrelenting hold of some unseen force behind them. They turned as much as possible, only to start screaming without halt, once they caught even a faint glimpse of what held them prisoner.

Wires.

A bunch of wires had them caught by the ankles, slowly pulling them into a decidedly uneven, jagged hole in the wall.

Frisk spun around, reaching out for the phone again. Alphys was still shouting, her voice quickly turning hoarse amidst the sobbing pleads she was making for the human to reply. They cried out for the lizard monster, but whatever force kept them from contacting each other was now content with locking only Frisk out of the conversation. They struggled and pulled against the binds, far too short to grasp even the very edge of the phone.

Another almost impatient pull brought them dangerously close to the wall. Frisk's SOUL emerged within an instant, but lacking any weapons, could do little more than fill the corridor with a bright, red light. It illuminated what lurked beyond the edge of the hole, only making the human scream louder.

More wires, capacitors, circuits, pipes and all manner of mechanical supports lurked inside. However, not a single one seemed to be stationary, every little part moving on its own accord, like the whole thing was alive. Alive and merely waiting for the right moment, the right prey to corner.

Frisk struggled with all their might, pulling on their ankles and clawing into the metal floor with an animalistic fervor, till it felt like their nails would pop off at any second. Sparks burst from under the floor panels, even the slightest touch making the human reel back in pain and get closer to the hole.

"Frisk, please just say something!" Alphys screamed, her panicked voice getting drowned out by the returning static. The garbled noises were now more like the groans of some ancient creature, filtered through machinery.

Another bunch of wires burst from the hole, one curling around Frisk's waist, while the other caught onto their wrist. The human screamed and begged for release, crying loudly when the unfeeling automaton nearly dislocated their shoulder with another pull. Tears scattered about, making the spark burn brighten with every contact. The wires pulled in haphazard motion alternating between slamming the human back into the floor, and trying to jerk them into the air to hasten the process.

Frisk felt like a puppet being tossed around.

The smell of burning plastic increased, along with the intensity of their screams from the heated wires. The binds now descended with reckless abandon, grabbing onto just about any area they could. Some caught their other wrist, while others grabbed onto their knees, elbows, chest and shoulders. Frisk found themselves back on their feet, passing the maw of the wall. They trashed and tried fighting with whatever they had left, succeeding in breaking a wire or two, but ultimately accomplishing nothing.

One last scream left their throat, before the walls closed up, swallowing the human inside.

The pain that awaited them was indescribable.

It was like every little inch of their body had been lit on fire at the same time. More wires caught them by the throat to silence their screams. The buzzing returned again, overpowering any other noise in the area. Their SOUL continued to burn, fading quickly from the onset of despair. Various lights, capacitors, fuses, metal parts, lights and wires covered up their body, increasing the pain by magnitudes with every second. For every area covered with these parts, Frisk could no longer see their own skin, fusing and melting into the mechanisms of this hellscape.

Eventually, they could scream no longer, either due to a lack of air, or lack of lungs still belonging to them. 

Raw information flooded their mind; numbers, charts, results, predictions, pushing aside such unimportant details like the taste of butterscotch, the difficulty of word jumbles, the basics of cooking and the sweetness of a warm hug. One by one, these memories crystallized and were stored for possible later use, shoved far behind the endless rows machine data. These were the CORE's analyses, the CORE's priorities, the CORE's prime concerns.

These were Frisk's thoughts and memories now.

The bright red glow slowly faded, giving place to little more than bright sheen dancing across the surface of a cool, gray heart-shaped object. Wires reached out and pulled it to Frisk's chest, letting it at least feel their SOUL close by. It could do little but whimper at this point, one last set of tears dripping down the metallic cheeks, immediately reducing its productive capabilities by at least ten percent. Unfamiliar names were uttered by the unit, bearing no resemblance to any system current in use, or in development. The name 'Alphys' did exist in the databanks, but entries such as Papyrus, Undyne, Sans and Toriel had no records and therefore held no value in terms for further operations.

One last wave of static silenced the still-active phone on Corridor D-32, although due to the ongoing heavy interference, some of the unit's vocal data was likely to have slipped through. Firewalls would be put in effect to prevent further information leak. Aside from that, no significant issues were found.

The CORE was working at optimal performance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **[ENDING 2 UNLOCKED: A COG IN THE MACHINE]**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> So this is pretty much the darkest thing I've ever written so far! I find the CORE fascinating by default, but add a weekend's binge of System Shock, and you know nothing good can come out of this. As before, you're very welcome to suggest further Bad Endings to be explored, just let me know here, or on http://milkasingularity.tumblr.com/
> 
>  
> 
> **[RESTART?]**


End file.
